After a report from Ian Begley of SNY.tv suggested that the NBA has been “poking around” on the Knicks‘ offseason promotion of Rick Brunson to lead assistant, the team quickly responded by referring to the rumored investigation as “harassment.”
Brunson joined the Knicks as an assistant in 2022, the same year his son Jalen Brunson signed with the team as a free agent. As Begley details, Rick received a promotion this offseason around the time Jalen signed a below-market long-term contract extension with New York, prompting the NBA to look into whether the move circumvented salary cap rules.
“In response to the rumored NBA investigation into Rick Brunson’s promotion, Brunson took (former associate head coach) Johnnie Bryant’s place and assumed the same salary as Bryant,” MSG Sports, the Knicks’ parent company, said in a statement. “It’s offensive that anyone would claim Rick didn’t deserve the promotion. Rick has done a tremendous job and will continue to do so. We see this as more harassment of the Knicks due to our opposition to certain NBA matters.”
Jalen’s four-year extension this offseason was worth just shy of $157MM, which was the maximum he could receive at the time. If he had waited until the summer of 2025, he could’ve signed a five-year deal worth up to a projected $269MM.
If the Knicks had, in concert with Jalen’s extension, “rewarded” the Brunson family by promoting Rick and giving him a significant raise beyond what his performance or title would typically warrant, it could be considered salary cap circumvention. However, Begley hears from coaching sources that Rick’s new contract is “within industry standards” for top assistants.
It’s also not as if the elder Brunson is unqualified for his new role. He has been coaching since 2007 and spent time as an NBA assistant in Denver, Chicago, Charlotte, and Minnesota before arriving in New York. He also had a stint as an assistant at the University of Hartford and was the head coach at Camden High School in New Jersey.
While the league would likely perform the same sort of due diligence if any other team were in a similar situation, the Knicks contend in their statement that the rumored probe is retribution for the team’s objections to “certain NBA matters.”
The Knicks, led by team owner James Dolan, criticized the league’s new media rights deal and revenue sharing policies in a letter sent to the other 29 teams and the league office earlier this year. The team also accused Adam Silver of bias while arguing that the NBA commissioner shouldn’t preside over a dispute between the Knicks and Raptors.
Additionally, Dolan stepped down from his positions on the NBA’s influential advisory/finance and media committees last year, with reporting at the time indicating that the Knicks owner had been “increasingly critical” of Silver and the NBA on a number of issues. Dolan has been the lone dissenting vote in various Board of Governors decisions that would have otherwise been unanimous.
Divincenzo “Let daddy run things”! Lol
DiV was the man in Villanova. He was fourth guy here with Bridges here. He’s just pissed and running his mouth. DiV will be ok in Minny.
If you haven’t done anything wrong, you’ve got nothing to worry about, Dolan. The problem is you’re worried that the NBA might find something else, lol.
What an alarming take… if the police knock on your door and say they think someone or something that they’re looking for is inside would you just let them in?
You’d hopefully be smart enough to ask for a warrant, but that’s also an apples to oranges take in this instance. Dolan’s not being threatened at gunpoint. He’s not in any actual danger the way you’d be if the cops showed up at your door demanding entry. That’s not what this is.
Truthfully, I don’t think there’s anything wrong here on the Knicks end and it’s just due diligence on the NBA’s part as the custodians of the organization the Knicks are a part of. Dolan being a baby about getting “singled out” when the NBA has investigated the Sixers multiple times this season already and tampering has hit most teams at least once is silly.
This is more like your boss asking IT to check your department’s internet history because they suspect somebody has been looking up p*rn on their work computer.
Definitely a better analogy but the principle remains the same imo
How? Dolan has literally nothing to worry about. He has money he can and has used to buy himself out of trouble. He’s just throwing a tantrum because he feels targeted even though he’s not that special. He wants to have his cake and eat it too, to be above consequences or ridicule. When you work for someone who is above you in a heirarchy, you have a personal responsibility to follow the rules and make good decisions. If you willfully choose to do otherwise, that’s on you, and so are the consequences. If Dolan has done so in good faith, he has literally nothing to complain about, but has chosen to anyway because he dislikes his boss.
You can choose to make a decision your superiors disagree with if you’re certain that the rewards outweigh the consequences, or that they’ll forgive you when they see the results of you being right. That’s a very different situation from your initial presented scenario.
On top of that, as a team owner, Dolan is at no threat of losing his job at this point. He hasn’t crossed the Sarver threshold, let alone the Sterling one. The most he might get is some public embarrassment, and given that that’s just what he *is* as a person, that’s a nothing-burger.
This is like when Cade Cunningham’s brother got a coaching job at Oklahoma State lmao
Super fishy, I think the nba is right in investigating this
He’s been coaching in the nba since 07. Not at all the same thing. Lol
He is a legit coach, but the timong is still super weird so I dont blame the nba for “making sure”
They’re right in investigating this? What do they think they’ll find? That Brunson had a handshake deal or something to leave potential tens of millions of dollars on the table so his father could get a minor promotion? It’s nonsensical.
That said, Dolan can never help himself with making comments. There’s only a rumor that they might be “poking around” and Dolan comes out guns blazing. Good for him for sticking up for his people but it probably wasn’t yet necessary at this juncture.
They probably wont find anything, I think Dolan has a point that the nba is trying to give the Knicks a hard time because of their opposition. I just really dont mind it, I think it makes sense to be looked into.
Guess we have to wait to see how much the raise is.
Silly investigation by a clown commissioner. Dolan should put this on the clock, and then pull cooperation with it to get the clown in court. Games are boring, maybe this will provide some entertainment.
Nobody’s business who Knicks hire. Just noise. Did they are about all incompetent head coaches they hired for years. Before Thibs ……. It’s is silly
This is just silly. Brunson did not take a below market deal, he took the maximum available contract. And its not like they are paying Rick big money that could make up for difference in waiting a year, he’s probably making $2M a year.
Okay, it’s been two years. Why do they suddenly care now?
It’s been two since they hired Rick, they just promoted him to lead assistant this off season.
As long as they fine giannis for having his brother on the bucks.
Right !!
This is just ridiculous. Why can’t I hire whoever I want and have him sit upstairs the entire time and do nothing? It’s my team and what’s it to you how much I pay a guy or what he does and contributes? This is such a load of crap.
I think an investigation is warranted. It was obvious what the Knicks were doing when they gave Rick a job after being out of the NBA for four seasons right before Jalen Brunson became a free agent. Then Rick passes up two of Thibs’ other assistants in Greer and Erman who have been with the organization longer than Brunson right as Jalen signs an extension. Obviously it doesn’t make up for the money Jalen left on the table by signing last off season instead of waiting but the Knicks taking care of his old man may have had an influence.
Taco, are you saying you want to form a union for NBA coaches?
Promotions based on service time versus merit? So Fred has been with the team longer than Sam so he deserves the promotion first?
I think unions had their place a hundred years ago but today it’s not necessary as the atrocities of Workforce treatment are long gone in the US for the most part.
Promotion based on Merit is the way to go in my opinion.
Then if course you have to factor in nepotism which is a very real thing in today’s world and why shouldn’t it be? If my dad works for the fire department it’s pretty much the only way I’ll get in today. Same with the Dock Workers. Unless you know somebody you’re going to be one of the 400 guys that don’t get one of the 5 open positions.
No investigation necessary. I can run my business anyway I want today. Taco are you saying you couldn’t hire Jalen Brunson’s mom or sister to be the lead chef for the team? Just because she’s Brunson’s relative? What a load of crap by whomever is behind this Knicks probe.
I strongly believe in unions as corporate America for the most part has shown that are more than willing to exploit their workforce but this comment section isn’t the place for that discussion. I don’t need to form a coaches union, it’s been around since 1976. I agree that promotions should be based on merits but with the circumstances involved perhaps an investigation is warranted.
Okay so the coaches already have a union. Thank you for that fact. Probably helps them with insurance and retirement and pension and all that.
Is it the union that’s behind the probe? Okay I guess that’s their job. That’s why they receive union dues from the employees.
Well we’ll see how this plays out. My opinion is that it would be wrong to ding the Knicks or fine the Knicks for promoting Rick Brunson ahead of the other guys.
I don’t think anything will come of the investigation. Brunson’s hiring appears to be totally legitimate, as do the personnel moves around the team itself. It seems more like something the league is doing for due diligence purposes, which is part of their remit.
The only issue I take with this is Dolan acting like he’s being personally targeted. You’re not that special, dude.
I agree with Eon, most likely nothing will come of it. Businesses can hire who they want but the NBA is unique in that it’s a collective. The facts are that the Knicks President Leon Rose is Jalen Brunson’s Godfather, Jalen’s agent is Leon Rose’s son and Rick Brunson is Jalen’s Father. It makes sense to me considering those factors that an investigation is warranted to ensure that there’s nothing inappropriate going on.
Brunson has worked with Thibs before. Jalen was a FA. Any team could have offered him more money. Even Mavs. Brunson wanted to start in NY. You really think he needs his father for that. Even if it’s partly why Jalen is here. Sr deserves it. Dolan is one of richest owners. He’s thrown away more money on misses on coaches and players than any other owner. NBA care about that.
Brunson is not leaving tens of millions of dollars on the table so his father can get a modest promotion. The idea might have merit but when you look at the details it makes no sense. “Jalen, please sign this contract now and not next year. I know you might be leaving $50+ million on the table but we’ll promote your dad if you do it! He’ll be making $1 million more per year!!!”
Nothing to see here.
On a real note !!!!!!
I know it’s the Wizards. Knicks with 42 bench points. That is great news. Knicks at bottom in bench scoring. Tough trip coming up with Suns up first tmrw.
Where there is smoke, there is fire
There should be absolutely no reason why a team can’t hire a player’s dad as an assistant coach and promote or demote as they see fit.
Didn’t the Clippers hire Ed Manning back in the late ’80s? Wasn’t a problem then and shouldn’t be a problem now.
There isn’t. Which is why nobody “investigated” the original hiring (only whether there was early contact between the NYK and Brunson).
The CBA could have contained nepotism rules (prohibiting the hiring of family members, or restricting their hiring to those with contracts approved by the league after they determine that the family relationship involved wasn’t a significant hiring factor). Many companies have such rules, or at least they used to when I paid attention to such things. The NBA obviously doesn’t have such rules. Or the LAL couldn’t have drafted or signed LBJ’s kid, among other transactions.
It is true they’re going to lose five first round draft picks. This is very similar to Joe Smith. I spoken to two people that are attorneys that are connected.
This feels like ego here
Silver has 20 things on his desk he could pursue, the Knicks massaging out his own crappy new Cba rubbed him wrong, for what reason I don’t know, both parties (Min/NYK) had zero beefs
The league (inc Silver) has guided players where they want for 50 years, how dare the Knicks for following a modicum of the same playbook
It’s such a shame that Knicks fans can’t just enjoy a season without their owner just doing Dolan things…
I know respectable sports team owners are almost non-existent… But Dolan always sticks his foot in it…
Brunson’s resume wasn’t too impressive for that new money until it mentioned he’d been Head Coach at Camden HS in New Jersey… pay da’ man! Ha